Luanda, July 31, 2025 (Lusa) - Luanda began returning to normal on Thursday after three days of taxi strikes that led to violent riots, looting and clashes, leaving 22 dead, 197 injured and 1,214 detained, according to authorities.

This morning, traffic was flowing smoothly, although police presence remained visible on the capital's main roads.

On the Via Expressa road linking Zango to Cacuaco, traffic was calm. Petrol stations had few customers and some were under police surveillance.

Chinese merchants' warehouses continue to have reinforced protection, with Rapid Intervention Police (PIR) vehicles inspecting backpacks and briefcases of those entering commercial establishments.

The streets were also gradually returning to their usual rhythm, with street vendors and hawkers happy to be back to their "normal life" despite the traces of destruction left by burnt tyres still visible on the asphalt.

Motorbike taxi drivers, as well as the popular ‘blue and white’ (private minibus taxis), were back on the roads in greater numbers, while people gathered at bus stops to resume their routines on their way to work.

In Praça da Independência, better known as Praça 1º de Maio, the central square of the Angolan capital, traffic was much lighter than usual this morning, giving the impression of a weekend.

The violence followed a strike called by taxi cooperatives and associations to protest against rising fuel prices and public transport fares.

The government classified the events as "acts of vandalism" and today presented the Cabinet with a report on the situation following two days of unrest.

The report was presented by Interior Minister Manuel Homem, who reported 22 dead, 197 injured and 1,214 arrests in Luanda province alone.

Commercial and food distribution companies were also heavily affected by looting, with the Association of Modern Trade and Distribution Companies of Angola (ECODIMA) describing the events as a “disaster”.

RCR/AYLS // AYLS

Lusa